Method of and apparatus for printing



Aug. 18, 1931. c, GALE l 1,819,160

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING Filed Feb. 4, 1930 INVENTOR BY 0 w UfSMQMM ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 18, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES E. GALE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO PNEUMATIC SCALE CORPORATION, LIMITED, 0F QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAS- SACHUSETTS METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRINTING This invention relates to a method of and to apparatus for printing upon the pages of a bound book.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel method and novel apparatus by which the pages of a bound book may be printed upon in a simple, economical and efficient manner.

With this object in' View, the invention consists in the method and in the apparatus hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred apparatus for practicing the present method, Fig. 1 is a sectional View taken longitudinally through the machine; and Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are dlagrammatic views illustrating differgnt 1szteps in the method of printing the bound In many instances it is of advantage to print upon the pages of a bound book. For example, at the present time it is the custom for banks to supply their depositors, when so requested, with check books bearing the name of the depositor upon the individual check, together with a serial number. After the depositor has used up one check book the bank supplies him upon request with an additional individual check book bearing the depositors name upon the face of the individual checks together with serial numbers running from the serial number of the last check in the preceding check book. At the present time it is necessary for the bank to have these check books made up to order for the individual depositors, and as a result considerable time elapses between a request and the delivery to the depositor of the check book.

In accordance with the present invention provision is made for operatively supporting the body of a book in an opened position, preferablywith one cover opened at a substantial angle with respect to the other cover, and in which position successive pages to be printed upon may be turned from a position adjacent one cover to a position adjacent the other cover. The book while thus supported is in accordance with the present method intermittently brought and preferably moved, first into a position adjacent cooperating printing members, and the page of the book to be printed is inserted between the printing members and then printed upon. Thereafter the book and printin members are caused to assume spaced relation to permit the page thus printed upon to be turned, and in the preferred machine the book with the covers supported in the aforesaid angular position is moved bodily into a position spaced sufiiciently from the printing members to permit the printed page to be turned, In the preferred apparatus for practicing the present process the printing operation is preferably performed by a platen which raises the page and presses it against a printing element and the book is preferably supported upon an intermittently moved supporting member with one cover supported upon the supporting member and the other cover hanging down in a position between the supporting member and the printing elements. The supporting member and platen are moved in timed relation to each other and the operator may turn each page to be printed upon from a position adjacent one-cover into a position where the page is supported upon the platen, and then after the printing operation, turn the page into a position adjacent the cover.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents the framework of the machine which is provided with slideways 12 in the top thereof within which a printing element 14 of any usual or preferred construction is arranged to slide, being intermittently moved from an operative printing position such as is illustrated in Fig. 1 into an inoperative position past an inking mechanism 16 of any usual or preferred construct-ion. The printing element 14 is reciprocated from a counter shaft 18 through a crank 20 provided with a cam roller 22 which is arranged to operate in a cam groove 23 in a lever 24, the latter being connected by a link 25 to the carriage forming. part of the printing element 14. The counter shaft 18 is driven from a motor 30 through a belt 32 running around a pulley 33 and a pulley 34 and through a sprocket chain 35 which runs around suitable sprockets upon a second counter shaft 36 and the counter shaft 18 respectively, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The printing operation is performed by the operation of a platen 40 mounted upon a vertical slide 42 arranged to slide in suitable guideways 43 in a cross member 44 forming part of the machine frame, and a yieldable connection is provided between the slide 42 and platen 40 through a heavy coiled spring 46 interposed between a collar 48 affixed to a plunger 49 secured to the slide 42, and a second collar 50 formed as a part of the platen and within which the upper end of the plunger shaft 49 is slidably received. The slide 42 is arranged to be raised by a toggle 60 operated from a cam 62 through a cam roller 63. bell crank 64 and link 65. as shown. The cam 62 is mounted upon the counter shaft 18 to be driven thereby. The weight of the platen and associated parts serve to lower the platen when the cam permits the toggle to be broken.

From the description thus far it will be understood that in the operation of the machine the printing element 14 during its movement over the inking mechanism 16 is properly inked, and after having been moved into operative printing position such as is shown inFig. 1. operates to perform the printing operation when the platen 40 is raised to press one of the pages which has been interposed between the platen and the printing element.

The machine is also provided with a movable book supporting member comprising preferably a carriage arranged to slide in the guideways 12 in the machine frame and upon which the book is supported in an open position, preferably with one cover 72 clamped by a clamp 7 3 upon the surface of the support 7O. and with the other cover 74 hanging down over the edge of the support in a position between the edge of the support 70 and the platen 40. The book support 70 is arranged to be reciprocated intermittentlv in timed relation to the movements of the platen 40 through the crank 76 on the counter shaft 36 and cam roller 78 which rides in a cam slot 79 in a lever 80 connected by a link 81 to the book support 70. In the operation of the machine. the reciprocations of the book support 70 are timed with relation to the movements of the platen so that the book and the support may be moved into an extreme position to the right such as to present the book adjacent the platen and to permit the operator to introduce one of the pages-of the book over theapla-ten-in a position where itm'ay be printedfupon when the platenis raised. After the"printing 'operation; and

after the platen has again been loweredgthe book support 70 is moved to the left-,tviewing Fig. 1, into a position spaced sufficiently from the platen to permit the operator to turn the page of the book.

As represented in Fig. 2, the printing operation may be performed upon successive pages of the book starting with the page nearest the cover 72, in which case the main body of the book represented at 85 will preferably hang down with the cover 74 in the position illustrated in Fig. 2. and the operator will at each printing operation turn the pages in the direction of the arrows 75. After a particular page has been printed upon, the book support 70 is moved to the left, viewing Figs. 1 and 2. into a position sufficiently remote from the supporting platen 40 to enable the printed page to be conveniently turned over upon the page or pages adjacent the cover 72, and in addition so as to permit the operator to turn the next succeeding page to be printed upon from its position in which it hangs down adjacent the cover 74 up to a position where it may rest upon the platen when the book support 70 is again moved to theright or into a position adjacent the platen. In printing some books it may be desirable to support the main body 85 of the book in a position upon the book support 70, as represented in Fig. 3, in which case the printing operation may be performed upon succeeding pages starting from the page next to the cover 74, and as represented in Fig. 3, the operator will turn successive pages from the body of the book 85 in the direction of the arrows. In Fig. 4 the book support 7 O, platen 40, and printing element 14 are diagrammatically shown in the position occupied by them after a page has been turned and deposited upon the platen 40.

From the above description it will be observed that the present method of printing enables predetermined portions of successive pages of a book to be accurately and conveniently printed upon, and that under certain conditions the method as well as-the apparatus is particularly useful in printing the customers name and the serial numbers upon the checks and stubs of a check book. The present apparatus, having the movable book support arranged to move in timed relation to the platen, is particularly useful for the convenient practicing of the present method.

Vhile the preferred method and the preferred form of the apparatus have been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is "1,, The m'etho-d of printing a bound book which. consists i n' supporting f the book "with the covers ,fopenedf at a substantial angle,

{moving the book thus supported with n relation togcooperating printing elements,

to position the book first Iadja'cent'a'nd' then spaced from the printing elements, insert' the edge thereof, and with the body of the book adjacent one of the covers, introducing successive pages turned from the body of the book, between cooperating printing members and performing the printing operation thereon during the intervals that the book support is moved adjacent the printing members, and turning each printed page over upon the other cover during the interval that the book and support is moved away from the printing members.

3. The method of printing a bound book which consists in supporting the book with the covers opened upon a movable supporting member, intermittently moving the supporting member and book into and from a position adjacent cooperating printing members, introducing successive pages between the cooperating printing members and performing the printing operation thereon during the intervals that the book and support are positioned adjacent the printing members, and then turning the printed pages after they have been printed upon and while the book and support are positioned at a disgance from the cooperating printing memers.

4. In a printing press, in combination, cooperating printing members, "a supporting member for a book, means for intermittently moving the supporting member for the book from a position adjacent the printing members to a position spaced sufficiently therefrom to permit turning of successive pages of the book, and means for operating the printing members in timed relation to the movements of the book supporting member to permit printing upon successive pages of the book during the intervals that the supporting member is positioned adjacent the printing members.

5. The method of printing upon the pages of a bound book which consists in supporting the book in an opened position upon a movable support, intermittently moving the support and book to and from a position adjacent a supporting platen, turning an unprinted page from the body portion of the book While the book and support are in a position remote from the book supporting platen, placing such page upon the platen when the book and support are moved into a position adjacent the platen, performing the printing operation upon the page thus supported upon the platen, and thereafter turning the printed page.

6. The method of printing upon the pages of a bound book which consists'in supporting the book in an opened position, turning successive individual pages from one position into an intermediate position, perform ing the printin operation while the individual page is in t e intermediate position, and then turning the printed page into the second position whereby the printing operation may be performed upon successive pages during the turning of all of the pages from one position into the other.

7. A printing press for printing upon the pages of a bound book comprising a platen for supporting the work, a movable printing element, means for moving the printing element into and from a position over the platen, a supporting member for a book movable into and from a position adjacent the platen, and means operating in timed relation to the movements of the printing element for intermittently moving the book support for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES E. GALE. 

